Back on Track

We've got some catching up to do with a busy week at work just finishing and us not having talked about our recent adventures! After a couple weekends of exploring on our own, we decided to meet up with our friends Charlene and Ian last weekend for a trip to an arts market and Fitzroy. The day turned out perfect for being inside, with the constant threat of drizzle and generally being grey and cool. We started out with a trip to the Melbourne Museum where we saw the IMAX show 'Deep Sea 3D' which was really quite an experience - nothing like a sea of 10 foot tall jellyfish slowly bobbing themselves right off the screen and into your lap! The main attraction at the museum is the 'Great Wall of China' exhibit which is making its way around the world. Lots of great pictures and facts about the wall, along with very educational videos showing re-enactments of how the wall would be built and highlighting some of the preservation efforts underway to restore the wall to its previous splendor. The pictures and artifacts really helped move this up our list of 'things to see' so who knows maybe we'll have a blog about China on here someday! The rest of the museum is fairly constant, but Josh (as normal) wanted to spend some time in the bug display and got up close and personal with an ant colony - such busy little guys!

After seeing most of what the museum had to offer, we met up with Charlene and Ian to check out the Rose Street Arts Market - which is in Fitzroy and runs each Saturday. There were all sorts of oddities for sale, we just happened to pick up a Frank Sinatra record....that had been turned into a decorative bowl! After arts, we wandered up and down Brunswick Street - stopping in little galleries, clothing stores (and bike shops for Josh) as we went along. Eventually we found our way to some appetizers in one place, and eventually dinner at a Greek restaurant recommended by one of Kristi's colleagues. The suggestions from the waiter were fantastic and our first experience of stuffed zucchini flowers was very good. Dinner was followed by some hot chocolate (the serious kind, not the watered down 'powder from a pouch' kind you find in the US) and then back to our place for more beverages and some board games. All-in-all a great day exploring and fun hanging out with friends!